‘Star Wars’ Builds a New TV Empire
WHEN IT COMES to Star Wars, it’s all about the small screen lately. Including ongoing projects like The Mandalorian (coming back next year) and the animated clone-trooper show The Bad Batch, Disney+ currently has a whopping 10 series in the works — that’s more TV shows than there are moons of Endor. At least five of them, possibly more, should hit the streamer before we see the next Star Wars feature film, Patty
Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, slated for the end of
2023. Here’s a breakdown of the six shows, returning and new, we’re most excited to see.
‘THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT’
This Mandalorian spinoff is a longawaited origin story for the legendary bounty hunter best known for capturing Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen (Boba Fett and Fennec Shand in The
Mandalorian) star.
Set post- Return of
the Jedi, it will see Fett assume Jabba the Hutt’s throne. Maybe, since the show takes place in the same time period as The Mandalorian. Fans are hungry for this: A stand-alone Boba Fett project has reportedly been in consideration since Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012. May be too similar to its predecessor. Boba Fe crew have called it “The Mandalorian 2.5.”
‘THE MANDALORIAN’
SEASON 3 Continues the story of bounty hunter Din Djarin, now that he’s won the Darksaber, potentially becoming the ruler of all Mandalorians. Pedro Pascal
(Din Djarin) and Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon) return, the latter promising more screen time. Filming began in fall; premiere expected some time next year. Almost definitely — although, brace yourself, possibly less than last season. There are too many unanswered plot questions in this series to make Season Three anything but thrilling. Esposito hinted last year that some answers to those looming questions may not arrive until Season
Four.
‘OBI-WAN KENOBI’
Set a decade after Kenobi’s battle with Anakin Skywalker, it should shed light on how the Jedi master went into hiding on Tatooine to watch over Luke. The six-episode limited series is set to premiere next year. Hayden Christensen will reprise his prequel-films role as Anakin Skywalker. Plus: Kumail Nanjiani and Maya Erskine!
Unlikely.
Disney has already promised we’ll see a “rematch of the century” between Kenobi and his former Padawan turned foe Darth Vader. With so many iconic characters, Obi-Wan is at the greatest risk — of all the upcoming shows — of succumbing to nostalgia and fan service.
‘ANDOR’
Reprising his role as Rebel spy Cassian Andor from 2016’s
Rogue One, Diego Luna will star in this prequel, presumably set during the rise of the Galactic Empire. Disney has described the 12-episode series as a “spy thriller” that will take place five years before the events of Rogue One.
Highly unlikely.
We’ll see Mon Mothma and Saw Gerrera, but with more than 200 named cast members so far, we’re also expecting scores of new characters. Alan Tudyk, who voices Rogue One’s fan-favorite droid K-2SO, won’t appear, though he has hinted at the possibility in a second season.
‘LANDO’
“The galaxy’s favorite scoundrel,” Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams in the first trilogy and Donald
Glover in
2018’s Solo. Dear White People’s Justin Simien is scripting.
Things are moving slower than a Sandcrawler, and it’s unclear when in Lando’s life it’ll take place.
Very highly unlikely.
The options for Millennium Falcon adventures on this show seem endless, since Lando was the ship’s first owner. The series has been announced for a full year, yet there’s still very little info about it — including who will be playing Lando.
‘AHSOKA’
The Jedi protagonist of 2008’s Clone Wars animated movie and TV series, first introduced in live action by Rosario Dawson in a one-off ep of
The Mandalorian. Dawson will star, and the show reportedly will feature Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, who trained Ahsoka Tano before turning to the dark side. Likely! Disney has said Ahsoka is “interconnected” with The
Mandalorian. This is the only series to focus on a Jedi largely unknown to more casual fans, while being a hardcore favorite for lovers of Clone Wars. With production reportedly starting early next year, it’s likely to drop after five other shows. Will it be a victim of overexposure?